"now for the police."

"Police!" repeated Mr. Smith, almost hastily. "What for?"

"Why, to find the captain," said Mr. Swann, in a surprised voice.

Mr. Smith shook his head. "You'll offend the cap'n bitter if you go to
the police about 'im, sir," he declared. "His last words to me was,
'Smith, 'ave this kept quiet.'"

"It'll be a little job for the police," urged the shipbroker. "They
don't have much to do down here; they'll be as pleased as possible."

"They'll worry your life out of you, sir," said the other. "You don't
know what they are."

"I like a little excitement," returned Mr. Swann. "I don't suppose
they'll trouble me much, but they'll turn your place topsy-turvy, I
expect. Still, that can't be helped. You know what fools the police
are; they'll think you've murdered the captain and hidden his body under
the boards. They'll have all the floors up. Ha, ha, ha!"

"'Aving floors up don't seem to me to be so amusing as wot it does to
you," remarked Mr. Smith, coldly.

"They may find all sorts of treasure for you," continued his visitor.
"It's a very old house, Smith, and there may be bags of guineas hidden
away under the flooring. You may be able to retire."

"You're a gentleman as is fond of his joke, Mr. Swann," returned the
boarding-master, lugubriously. "I wish I'd got that 'appy way of looking
at things you 'ave."

"I'm not joking, Smith," said the other, quietly.

Mr. Smith pondered and, stealing a side-glance at him, stood scraping his
foot along the floor.

"There ain't nothing much to tell," he grumbled, "and, mind, the worst
favour you could do to the cap'n would be to put it about how he was
done. He's gone for a little trip instead of 'is son, that's all."

"Little trip!" repeated the other; "you call a whaling cruise a little
trip?"

"No, no, sir," said Mr. Smith, in a shocked voice, "I ain't so bad as
that; I've got some 'art, I hope. He's just gone for a little trip with
'is old pal Hardy on the _Conqueror_. Kybird's idea it was."

"Don't you know it's punishable?" demanded the shipbroker, recovering.

Mr. Smith shook his head and became serious. "The cap'n fell into 'is
own trap," he said, slowly. "There's no lor for 'im! He'd only get
laughed at. The idea of trying to get me to put little Amelia Kybird's
young man away. Why, I was 'er god-father."

Mr. Swann stared at him, and then with a friendly "good morning"
departed. Half-way along the passage he stop